Irvan Starts Race But Has To Be Relieved

PEPSI 400

DAYTONA BEACH — Still feeling the effects of last week's crash, Ernie Irvan sat out qualifying Thursday and Friday but started Saturday night's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

``I felt fine at happy hour,'' Irvan said before the race. ``But I'm not sure that my body is ready for the bouncing and beating of 400 miles. I might get out at the first caution if that is the best scenario for myself and the Skittles team.''

Indeed, when light drizzle on the back stretch forced an early caution flag, Irvan pitted and got out of the car, replaced by Ricky Craven, who practiced and qualified the No. 36 Skittles Wild Berry Pontiac in Irvan's place.

Irvan had spent last Sunday in a Birmingham, Ala., hopsital after a crash in the Winston 500 in Talladega.

His car hit the wall and ricocheted into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by Dick Trickle's Ford on the passenger side.

With Irvan suffering headaches and soreness in his neck earlier in the week, Craven took the wheel for qualifying.

Irvan took 13 laps around the 2.5-mile trioval during Friday night's final practice session, fulfilling the NASCAR rule that states a driver must complete one lap of practice prior to racing.

Irvan, started the race from the rear of field, is 14th in the Winston Cup points standings.

Craven has eight Winston Cup starts this season. His last start came in the Bud at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 9.

Expanding horizons

Daytona International Speedway continues to grow, with an expansion in the main grandstand scheduled to be completed for the Daytona 500 in February.

Although there are no plans at the moment for further expansion, Daytona officials do have a ``vision'' of stands wrapping completely around the track some day.

``If fans keep responding and keep coming in greater numbers, then we'll respond to that and build,'' said John Graham, the president of the Daytona International Speedway. ``And as long as the demand is there, we'll certainly furnish the supply. We like to keep the demand a little bit ahead of the supply. Thank goodness fans are responding in greater and greater numbers. We wait every year to take a look at that. We always say we're going to slow down and let this settle, but as long as they keep saying, `We want more seats,' and are willing to buy more seats, we're certainly going to build them.''

Etc.

Before the race, Billy Standridge announced Competitive Motorsports as the primary sponsor for his No. 47 Ford Thunderbird. . . . Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt are the only drivers with more than one victory in the Pepsi 400. They each came in having won the event twice. . . . Earnhardt started the race with $3 million career earnings at Daytona. No other driver has more than $2 million. . . . Bobby Labonte came into the race with the best average finish (third) on restrictor-plate tracks this season. . . . By virtue of their top-5 finishes in the Winston 500, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Jimmy Spencer and Jeremy Mayfield are eligible for a Winston No Bull 5 $1 million bonus if one of them wins the Daytona 500 in February.